


the day the world stopped (valerie)

by beatrixfranklin



Series: endings [3]
Category: Call the Midwife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatrixfranklin/pseuds/beatrixfranklin
Summary: part 3 in a series of fic about great losses at nonnatus
Series: endings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845115
Kudos: 9





	the day the world stopped (valerie)

It had all been so quick. Two girls walking arm in arm, laughing and enjoying each others presence. There had barely been time to consider the car barrelling towards them both. 

All Lucille knew was that she had hit the pavement. It took her a moment to come to her senses, her body aching with impact. 

"Valerie?" She uttered, vision blurred. Feeling around, she felt nobody near her, although she heard plenty of strange voices. They were shouting things, giving orders. A warm hand made contact with her shoulder and it caused her to look to its owner. It wasn't the pretty brunette midwife she'd been expecting. It was a man.

That was when she looked to the main source of commotion and her eyes lay upon a woman sprawled on the ground. Lucille put two and two together. Valerie was hurt. Instantly, her sense flooded back and she stood, brushing herself off and running to Val. She knelt beside her, taking a hand in her own and placing the other on Val's forehead, stroking it gently with her fingers.

"Come on, precious. It's okay. I think they've called the ambulance." There were tears forming in Lucille's eyes as onlookers remained crowded around. A woman knelt on the opposite side of Val, felt her slender wrist, before taking a deep breath and shaking her head.

Lucille felt the world begin to spin beneath her. Before she really knew what she was doing, she had scooped Val into her shaking arms, cradling her head , still stroking her hair. Tears were falling and Lucille made no effort to stop them. She clung on tight, shutting her eyes, shutting out the world. It was then that she was made aware of the presence of two new vehicles. One being the ambulance, arriving in vain to save a woman who could not be saved, the other driven by a pair of warm hands that lay on Lucille's shoulders. Taking her from Val. 

"Let's get you home, lass." 

××××××××××××

Trixie hated being alone. It meant she had nothing but her thoughts for company and tonight was no exception. In fact, it was worse. The smell of Val's Henleys filled the room, mixing with her favourite perfume. The bed beside Trixie's own lay untouched, clothes scattered all over it from an excited outfit selection earlier in the evening. The blonde sat on her bed, drawing her knees to her chest, hugging her silk encased pillow as a grasp for comfort. It was then that the hot, desperate tears started without warning. They fell thick and fast, choking Trixie and leaving her speechless. 

×××××××××

Trixie was lying awake, her mind bubbling and swirling endlessly, when the door opened softly. Turning, she saw a nervous and broken figure standing there, trembling. She nodded gently, watching as the woman entered.

"I thought you might be awake." Lucille stated, her voice broken and scared. She hovered over the covers of Val's bed, as though she would erase every trace of the woman just by sitting there, before letting herself rest. Her hands wandered to a discarded blouse, a pink number Lucille recalled was one of her favourites. The young girl brought it to her face, inhaling deeply before holding it to her chest. Her eyes were shut tight before she spoke again.

"She pushed me." Came the broken voice again. "Out of the way." 

Trixie's face fell, as if it had far to fall at least, tears forming in her eyes again. Of course Val had died a hero, for the person she loved so much. It made entire sense. There was no way Val would live without Lucille.

Unfortunately for the latter, that meant a life without Val, something she still hadn't processed. For all Lucille could believe, Val was out on a late night delivery. She'd be back in the morning.

"I never liked the smell of cigarettes before I came here." She stated suddenly, breaking the silence. Trixie simply nodded, not speaking, not that she knew what to say either way. 

"Valerie made me see a lot of things differently. I'm very grateful to be- have been- with her." Lucille broke at this, finally making things past tense aloud. Trixie swung her legs out of her own bed, sitting beside the young girl on the opposite bed. She held her close, rubbing her arm and letting her cry as much as she needed. Her heart shattered at the prospect of what Lucille was yet to face, but for now she was safe and loved, free to grieve and mourn. The darkness hid anything unsaid, which was perhaps for the better after all.


End file.
